Archive for June 24th, 2008

Successful communication is an absolute requirement for success in the workplace. Unfortunately, most people are absolutely horrible at it. It should go without saying that if you do not make yourself understood, you will fail in your endeavor. The most basic interaction in communication is the question. A lawyer will tell you that you should never ask a question that you do not already know the answer to. Unfortunately, many folks cannot even get that far. From WikiHow comes this great guide:

Just how do you ask a question that not only appears intelligent but also results in an answer that satisfies the knowledge you are seeking? Here are some tips for asking more open-minded and informed questions that will help not only you but others to comprehend information placed before you, as well as extracting more information useful to you.

Steps

Start with something simple. Asking something simple first lets the information provider know that you are about to state your opinion but that you fully realize that you do not comprehend the whole story and that you are hoping they can fill in some gaps. For example, “Have you heard about the latest modifications to the Farm Bill?”

Define exactly what it is you want to know. Before you pose a question, it is important to have a concept of what is unclear about the information in your head, otherwise you risk creating confusion and not getting an answer that satisfies what you seek to know.

Don’t ask: “Can you tell me more about droughts in the Southwest?”

Ask: “I’ve heard people saying that recent droughts in the Southwest are due to global warming, but others say it’s just part of a natural cycle. Which do you think it is?”

Never ask a question in an aggressive manner. This indicates that you are only asking the question to prove to the other person that you are right and they are wrong, meaning that you are argumentative and not open-minded. Ask because you are genuinely interested. Otherwise, you will receive a defensive and less than helpful response.

Don’t ask: “Isn’t it true that more people would be well-fed if we ate grains directly rather than feeding it to animals and eating their meat?”

Ask: “Many vegetarians argue that there’d be more food available if society didn’t invest in meat production. The argument seems to make sense, but do you know of any arguments on the flip side?”

Lay your concepts or ideas and assumptions on the table. Take care to make sure that the other person is fully aware of exactly what your current thinking is and why you think it. You can do this by stating who you are and what field you are working in, studying or researching. You do not have to be studying a course – anything about which you are passionate and spend much time learning about is “study” or “research”.

Ask politely and second-guess carefully. You are seeking information to fill a gap in your knowledge and here is the person who may have the answer, so be polite! If appropriate, if you do not really feel comfortable with the response or feel that it does not respond to what you have asked, proceed gently by asking how they know this information. Ask what the general trend is that would short cut a path to that knowledge, meaning that you are seeking the tools to answer the questions yourself from this point onwards.

Be gracious. If you find the information provider is beginning to feel uncomfortable and maybe out of their depth, do not press the issues. Unless you are questioning in a professional capacity as a journalist, Senator or a lawyer, it is rare that a public grilling amounts to any good under most situations. As a member of the public or a student in class, you are seeking information, not a roasting. Back down and thank them. Often there will be time afterwards to chase them up and discuss things privately. Even if you are trying to extract information in the public interest, intelligent questioning will gather much information towards a good campaign.

Thank the person. Try and return the favor sometime.

Tips

Example: “Until now, I had always thought that classical music was not worth listening to. Maybe it is because all my friends hated it. But if musicians and educated men and women enjoy it, there must be something to it. I know you like it, so can you tell me what there is to appreciate?”

Incorporate the audience into the question. Invite them in with phrases such as- “did you think about..” or “Have you considered this question…”

Try and read more so you have substance to what you are actually saying.

Do not use huge words. They will make you sound pretentious. Just tap into your intellectual but friendly side and don’t worry too much about coming off as brilliant.

For certain questions, try to do some research ahead of time. Try searching the Internet for the answers. Google is an amazing tool for finding great resources. Show that you have tried to find the answer with available resources. If those answers were not completely clear, or does not directly apply to your situation, refer to it. This will save the person from retyping everything, and focus on the confusing parts.

Warnings

Never ask a question just for the sake of it, whether it be to bring attention to yourself or for appearing smart. That is the worst possible motivation for asking a question.

Watch out for getting aggressive at the response you get if you don’t like the answers you get. If you’re not willing to receive any and all answers, don’t ask the question. Sometimes a person can answer aggressively to your innocent query. Don’t fret. They just think the question was beneath them, and that you are stupid to ask it. You’re not. They are just bitter and have forgotten what it’s like to search for answers. Basically they think they know everything. You know you don’t. You are the tortoise. They are the hare.

It is pretty difficult to get through a day without hearing about some sports practitioner getting on the wrong side of the law. Steroids, domestic violence, taxes, drugs, dog fighting, and on and on. In some games, it is estimated that as many as 10% of the “stars” are on the “bad” side of the line. Some think it is a lot more than that, but let’s go with 10%. That leaves 90% on the up and up. Do those 90% deserve to be painted with the broad brush created by the 10% that are idiots?

Do you care about sports at all anymore? Or do you just look the other way because it is entertainment? Cedric Benson likes to get his swerve going on the water and behind the wheel (allegedly). He was also an NFL running back of questionable value. The Chicago Bears put up with him for a good while and then cut him. No other team has picked him up. And now a judge wants Benson’s car to be fitted with an interlock. Does Benson’s behavior impact the Bears? Michael Irvin smoked crack out of a Sprite can in a motel room full of hookers. Didn’t seem to really hurt his standing… And as for making it rain…

A few weeks ago (or was it months?) I was perusing, I think, Slashfood. I saw this blurb about some kind of cheese bread thing and thought that it would be pretty cool to try. I went to the original referenced site and bookmarked it. And then promptly forgot about it. That was stupid. I made the stuff over the past few days. There is none left. I will make more. If I die with the crumbs of this bread speckling my face, it will be okay. Here is the whole shabang:

If you’re a yeast bread baker, you know that different loaves provoke different visceral responses. There are sandwich loaves, golden brown and perfectly domed, that seem almost too beautiful to cut into. And there’s country sourdough bread, whose occasional lack of beauty is made up for by its enticing aroma. Focaccia begs you to cut it into squares and dip it in seasoned olive oil;a baguette makes you bend down and listen to it “singing” as it cools.

But one response all homemade yeast breads invoke in common: they all say RIP INTO ME RIGHT NOW.

Hot-from-the-oven bread envelops your house with a yeasty aura of warmth and comfort. But it’s not enough to simply enjoy the aroma of bread, or to admire it as it cools. Though you’re cautioned not to cut into a hot sandwich loaf, lest your precipitous cut turn it gummy (and yes, if you cut oven-hot bread, that does happen), other breads are fair game for the “grab, rip, and gorge” response we feel.

Chewy, oven-hot bread with a crown of crusty melted cheese… does it get any better? This recipe comes from the French Pastry School in Chicago, which uses King Arthur Flour exclusively for breads, cakes, cookies, pastries–every recipe that calls for flour. We’ve adapted their recipe for home bakers, but we didn’t have to do much beyond tweak it to work in home ovens, which differ vastly from the steam-injected brick ovens professional bakers use.

French Pastry School head baker/chefs Jacquy Pfeiffer and Sebastien Canonne say this is one of their truly beloved breads, one that never fails to attract customers when it’s pulled from the oven and immediately fills the bakeshop with its steamy aroma of melted cheese and hot bread.

OK, by now you’re chomping at the bit, ready to bake, right? Let’s go for it. Without further ado, here’s how to make the French Pastry School’s Gruyère Cheese Bread.

Mix flour, water, salt, and yeast, and set aside to rest at room temperature overnight.

Just about 14 hours later, look how that simple starter has grown!

Mix the starter with the remainder of the dough ingredients. The dough will be rough at first…

…but becomes smooth and satiny as you knead.

Next, let the dough rise till it’s grown to just about twice its size.

WOW! Unlike more sluggish doughs, this one rises fairly quickly, doubling in size in 2 hours or less.

And the gluten, as you can see, is nicely developed.

Pat the dough into a rough 9” x 12” rectangle.

Spritz with water, and layer on the grated cheese…

…and roll it up, starting with a longer edge.

Here it is, a lovely cheese-filled log.

Once it’s risen again, divide the dough into four pieces; or two pieces, for larger loaves.

Place the pieces, cut-side up, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. You don’t HAVE to use parchment, but it helps with cleanup; these loaves will oooooze cheese as they bake.

See what I mean? Melted cheese bubbles out the top and down the sides of the loaves like lava from a volcano.

And here’s a cross section of the “volcano.” You can slice this bread if you like, but really: just rip into it with both hands while it’s hot. Enjoy!